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Psalm 48:3
God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.
1A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, in his holy mountain.
2Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the north sides, the city of the great King.
3God has shown himself in her citadels as a refuge.
4For, behold, the kings assembled themselves, they passed by together.
5They saw it, then they were amazed. They were dismayed. They hurried away.
Notice
Citadels are built for defense, yet the song locates Jerusalem’s safety in God himself, raising the question of what makes a strong place secure.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What changes in your reading when you notice that God himself is the refuge within the citadels?
Write on thisWhere have you seen God’s help through the people or provisions you depend on for safety?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Zechariah 2:4–5and said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying, ‘Jerusalem will be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock …Both passages describe Jerusalem, though Zechariah pictures its growth without walls and the psalm speaks of God within its citadels.
Zechariah 2:5For I,’ says the LORD, ‘will be to her a wall of fire around it, and I will be the glory in the middle of her.God himself provides Jerusalem’s protection in both passages, as a refuge in the psalm and a surrounding wall of fire in Zechariah.
Psalm 46:11The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.Both psalms name God as a refuge and locate his people’s security in his presence.
Psalm 46:7The LORD of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.The shared word is refuge: both passages speak of God himself as the shelter of his people.
Psalm 125:1A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.Mount Zion connects the passages: Psalm 48 names God as its refuge, while Psalm 125 compares those who trust him to its stability.
Isaiah 37:33–36“Therefore the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there, neither will he come before it with shield, …Both passages concern God’s protection of Jerusalem, with Isaiah specifying that Assyria’s king will neither enter the city nor mount a siege.
Psalm 76:1–5For the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm by Asaph. A song. In Judah, God is known. His name is great in Israel.Both speak of God making himself known among his people, with Psalm 48 naming refuge as the way he has shown himself.
Isaiah 4:5–6The LORD will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night, for …Both associate Mount Zion with God’s protection, expressed through refuge in the psalm and a canopy in Isaiah.
Deuteronomy 33:27The eternal God is your dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!’Both describe God himself as shelter, using refuge in the psalm and dwelling place in Deuteronomy.
2 Samuel 22:51He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”Both credit God with protection, expressed as refuge in the psalm and deliverance for his king in Samuel.
2 Chronicles 12:7Both concern God’s protection of Jerusalem, though Chronicles describes limited deliverance after the people humble themselves.
2 Chronicles 20:1–37After this, the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.The shared setting is gathered enemies: Chronicles names forces approaching Jehoshaphat, while the psalm’s surrounding lines describe assembled kings retreating.
Where this verse fits
Fear for the future. praise and worship.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
The surrounding lines describe gathered kings who retreat in dismay. This song’s confidence has a stated source: God has shown himself in Jerusalem’s citadels as a refuge.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).